Traverse roller for venetian blinds



Oct. 23, 1934. L T. WARD TRAVERSE ROLLER FOR VENETIAN BLINDs Filed May12. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RWI/7 I .La

Patented Oct. 23,` 1934 AUNITED STATES vrif-irland# Aori-ica TRAVERSERLLER FOR VENETIAN BLmDS Lawrence Thomas Ward, Kane, Pa., assigner toKane Manufacturing Company, Kane, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication May 12, 1931, Serial No. 536,858

12 Claims. (Cl. 156-17) roller. Devices of this type, particularlyapplied l to large blinds, oier disadvantages among which might bementioned the excessive effort necessary to rotate the roller by a pullon the operating cord and the possibility of losing control and droppingthe blind in the event of inadvertent release of the cord, the downwardpull also tending to increase friction and binding of the traversingscrew.

According to 4my invention, Ilv provide a gear driven sleeve which isslidably engaged in a spline relation within one end of the traverseroller. 3The driving gears for the sleeve are rotated by means of rigidoperating shafts that may be rotated manually or by means of a motordrive in a manner to rotate the main drum to raise or lower the slatswhich are suspended from the drum. A gear drive of the type describedhas for its main object to provide agdirect, positive drive for atraverse roller that may be operated with a minimum of eiort. 3o Anotherobject is to provide an operating means which is effective in anyposition to afford a locking means which will prevent slippage of theroller upon stoppage of the driving force.

Another object is to provide an operating 35 means of the geared typewherein an electric motor may be employed as a source of power.

I attain these objects and others by a novel combination of parts, apreferred modification of which is disclosed in the accompanying draw-40 ings, wherein- Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the relativepositions of the roller, blind and operator;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in section showing an assembled traverse roller;

Fig. 3 is a detailA view of a driving gear and sleeve;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a gear housing;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows a detail;

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal motor drive; and

Fig. 8 shows a vertical motor drive.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown a traverse roller 1supported at one end 55 upon a threaded sleeve 2 which threadablyengages a collar 3 fitted within the roller end and attached thereto bymeans of screws Il. The sleeve 2 is supported at one end by means of abracket 5 and a pair of slots 6 arranged on opposite sides of the sleeveare adapted to engage the side edges 7 of a bearing 8 formed on thebracket. The other end of the traverse roller is supported by means of adriving sleeve 9 which extends axially within the roller in slidableengagement with a drive collar 10 attached to the 65 roller by means ofscrews 11. As shown in detail in Fig. 3, a driving worm gear 12 issecured rigidly to the sleeve 9 a short distance from the outer end`thereof. The sleeve `end is rotatably supported-by means of a yokeshaped gear housing 13 which is attached to a bracket 14 by means ofscrews 15. It will be noted that the sleeve engages the housing 13 attwo points on opposite sides of the gear 12.

'Ihe sleeve 9 is provided with a driving key 75 16 which engages akeyway 17 formed in the collar 10. I provide an aligning rod 18 ,whichez;- tends axially through the sleeves 2 and -9 and through the rollerin a manner shown in my Patent No. 1,845,856, granted February 16, 1932.A rigid vertical operating rod 19 is supported at its upper end vin abearing 20 formed in the housing 13 and a worm 21 secured to the rod 19meshes with the worm gear 12.

The lower end of the rod 19 may be connected 85 by means of gears 22 toan operating crank 23 to provide a means for manually operating thetraversey roller -1. In the event that blinds of large size are used,the effort necessary to raise such blinds becomes appreciable and it isdesirable to provide a power drive for operating the traverse roller.

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal electric motor drive comprising a motor 24which-is mounted on a base 25 adjacent the driven end of the roller. 95-The motor shaft 26 is connected by means of a Worm andgear reduction 27to a shaft 28 which in. turn is provided with a worm 29 in engagementwith a worm gear 30 that is attached to the driving sleeve 9.

Fig. 8 shows a vertical electric drive comprising an electric motor 24which is connected to a power supply 31. The motor 24 is operativelyconnected in driving relation to the vertical operating rod 19 by meansof a gear reduction 32. 105 For controlling the electric motor, Iprovide a circuit controller which comprises an up switch 33, a downswitch 34 and a stop switch 35 which may be constructed in a well knownmanner. Obviously, aseries of vertical rods 19 110,

associated with a plurality of traverse rollers may be driven from asingle or common motor through transverse rods connected to the verticalrods.

In the operation oi mv device, when itis de sired to rotate the traverseroller to raise or lower the blind suspended therefrom by cables in theusual manner, a rotary motion is imparted to the rod 19 by means of thecrank 23 or by operation of the motor 24 in the properdirection,-whereby the sleeve 9 is rotated. Due to the engagement of thekey 16 with the collar 10, a corresponding rotation is imparted to theroller 1 and the latter is moved laterally by the action of the threadedsleeve 2 which engages the threaded collar 3. The loose splineengagement of the sleeve 9 within the collar 10 permits the roller 1 toslide freely therealong in a manner to wind the blind supporting cablesto lie in a uniform layer thereon as set forth in the 'above mentionedpatent. 'Ihe sleeve or bearing 9 has been shown preferably as circularin cross-section and in a splined relation. Other forms arecontemplated, for example, a bearing rectangular in cross-section willprovide satisfactory construction and operation, in which case the useof a spline key is avoided.

While the weight of the suspended blind acting through the suspensioncables is appreciable and, at all times tends to rotate the roller 1,the roller is prevented from rotating owing to the engagement of theworm gear 12 with the worm 21. In the prior art devices, it has been thepractice to employ an operating cable wound around the traverse rollerfor rotating the roller. The extremely large force exerted on suchcables results in excessive pressure of the roller` upon the threadedsleeve 2, and which is effective to unduly increase the friction of thescrew drive as well as to cause distortion of the screw sleeve, therebycausing a detrimental binding action of the screw.

By providing a gear driven sleeve operator for traverse rollers, Ireduce the driving force to a minimum and materially increase the lifeand efliciency of the roller. As applied to large blinds particularly,my gear driven operator effects simplicity and economy in manufacture,as well as in its maintenance.

For the purpose of fully disclosing the principles of my invention, apreferred modication thereof has been illustrated and described. I donot, however, wish to be limited to the form shown but contemplatevariations within th scope of the appended claims. Y

What I claim is:

1. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, separatebearings extending within said roller at opposite ends thereof,inter-engaging threads on said roller and one of said bearings andproviding a support for one end of the roller, said other bearingslidably engaging said roller means to prevent relative rotation betweensaid other bearing and the roller, means for rotating said last namedbearing comprising a worm wheel thereon, and a Worm shaft having a wormmeshing with said worm wheel.

2. In a venetial blind, in combination, a traverse roller, bearingsengaging said roller at opposite ends thereof, inter-engaging threads onsaid roller and one of said bearings and providing a support for one endof the roller, said roller being rotatable relative to said last namedbear- 1ng, said other bearing slidably engaging said roller means toprevent relative rotation between said other bearing and the roller, aworm wheel on said last named bearing, a worm shaft having e wormmeshing with seid wheel and a drive for seid vorm smit.

3. ln e venetian blind, in combination, e. trevn erse roller, sleevebearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of saidsleeves being threadedly engaged with the roller, said roller slidablyengaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relative rotationbetween said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rod extendingthrough said sleeve bearings and means to rotate said last named sleevebearing.

4. A traverse roller comprising a drum, a sleeve bearing, said bearingand drum being threadedly engaged, whereby to `impart axial movement tothe drum during rotation thereof, a sleeve bearing extending within theother end of said drum, spline means for slidably connecting said lastnamed sleeve bearing to said drum, a non-rotatable aligning rodextending through said sleeve bearings, and means for rotating said lastnamed sleeve bearing whereby to rotate said drum.

5. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, sleevebearings extending within opposite ends ofl said roller, one of saidsleeve bearings being threadedly engaged with the roller, said rollerslidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relativerotation between said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rodextending through said sleeve bearings and roller, and means to rotatesaid last named bearing.

6. In a venetian blind, in combination, a traverse roller, sleevebearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of saidsleeve bearings and said roller having interengaging threads, saidthreads providing a support for one end of the roller, said rollerslidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relativerotation between said other bearing and the roller, an operating rod,gearing for connecting said rod to said last named sleeve bearing, and amotor operatively connected to said rod.

7. In a venetian blind,'in combination, a traverse roller, sleevebearings extending within opposite ends of said roller, one of saidsleeve bearings being threadedly engaged with the roller, said rollerslidably engaging said other sleeve bearing, means to prevent relativerotation between said other bearing and the roller, an aligning rodextending through to said sleeve bearings, an operating rod, gearing forconnecting said rod to said last named sleeve bearing, and a motoroperatively connected to said rod.

8. In a venetian blind having cables for lifting the slats, a spoolmounted above the slats with the cables connected thereto, ymeans torotate the spool and simultaneously therewith move the spoollongitudinally of its axis to wind the cables in a single layer on thespool, the spool having a shaft with a worm wheel thereon, a. worm shafthaving a worm meshing with said wheel, and a drive for said worm shaft.

9. In a venetian blind having slats with cables for lifting and loweringsame, a rotatable spool positioned above the slats with the cablesconnected thereto, means to rotate the spool, said spool having a screwthreaded portion at one end, a stationary threaded bearing rod engagingsaid threaded portion for moving the spool longitudinally of its axisduring its rotation to wind the cables in single layers on the spool, arotatable shaft support extending into the other end of the spool, meansto prevent relative rotation between vroo IOS

Said latter shaft and the spool, the shaft support duced gear drive, anelectric vcircuit for said motor and means for controlling the currentin said circuit to reverse the motor.

12. In a device asset forth in claim 9, the means for rotating-saidfwormshaft comprising a motor operably connected thereto by a reduced geardrive, an electric circuit for said motor and switching means forcontrolling said circuit and motor to raise or lower the slats.

LAWRENCE THOMAS WARD. f

